Takodori's Entrance to Shogi World

Shogi Tactics #0018

Sente's turn to play This is a Yagura endgame position where Gote's King ran to 22 from 31 against Sente's checking Rook drop on 81.(For Firefox users, please forward one move from the displayed position to have the problem. Sorry, this cannot be displayed on some smartphones). Please find a nine-move-mate-line from here.   You can replay the answer line by clicking the arrow directing to the right under the diagram. Also, an exclamation mark sometimes appears there on a specific move during your replay, then click it and you can read my comments on that move. After reading my comments, click the exclamation mark again then the comment window will go away to move forward again.

Shogi Tactics #0017

Sente's turn to play This is a Yagura endgame position where Gote dropped a Pawn on the 12 square to try to defend Sente's edge attack(For Firefox users, please forward one move from the displayed position to have the problem. Sorry, this cannot be displayed on some smartphones). Please find a seventeen-move-mate-line from here. Sente's attacking pieces are a Rook on 81, Bishop on 68, kNight on 37, Lance on 19 and a Pawn on 14 on the board. Usually we do not count a Pawn as an attacking piece but if the Pawn is close to the King or the castle, we often consider it as an offensive piece. So the number of your attacking pieces in the position is six including the Silver in hand which will be sufficient enough to conduct a devastating attack.   You can replay the answer line by clicking the arrow directing to the right under the diagram. Also, an exclamation mark sometimes appears there on a specific move during your replay, then click it and you can read my comments on that move. After reading my comments, click the exclamation mark again then the comment window will go away to move forward again.

Shogi Tactics #0016

Sente's turn to play This is a Yagura endgame position where Gote took the 14 pawn with Px14 just after Sente had pushed a sacrificing Pawn from 15 to 14 engaging in the edge attack(For Firefox users, please forward one move from the displayed position to have the problem. Sorry, this cannot be displayed on some smartphones). Please find a thirteen-move-mate-line from here. Please pay your attention to how many attacking pieces there are on the board and your piece stand. A shogi general guideline says "Attack with four pieces lasts, it may be not enough with three pieces". In this problem, you have seven attacking pieces such as the 81 Rook, 68 Bishop, 37 kNight, 19 Lance on the board and a Gold, Silver and kNight in hand which are sufficient enough to deliver a mate to the King. Please enjoy the luxury of your offensive measures.   You can replay the answer line by clicking the arrow directing to the right under the diagram. Also, an exclamation mark sometimes appears there on a specific move during your replay, then click it and you can read my comments on that move. After reading my comments, click the exclamation mark again then the comment window will go away to move forward.

Shogi Tactics #0015

Sente's turn to play This is a Yagura endgame position where Gote took the 13 pawn with Lx13 just after Sente had dropped a Pawn on 13 engaging in the edge attack(For Firefox users, please forward one move from the displayed position to have the problem. Sorry, this cannot be displayed on some smartphones). Please find an eleven-move-mate-line from here. It is very similar to the previous one, but the different points are that Sente's Rook stays on its original square and that Sente's pieces in hand is a Gold only. Here is a positional tip. It is often very effective to conduct an edge attack to the King in Yagura castle when the King cannot run to the 31 square. In this problem, the 41 Tokin controls that place, but it's not limited to a Tokin there in real games. It also happens in case of Sente's dropped Rook on the back rank, Bishop on the 31-97 diagonal, Gote's piece staying additionally on 31 and so on. The castle's guardians of three generals cannot play their defensive role well against the edge attack since their location is a bit distant from the 1st file.  You can replay the answer line by clicking the arrow directing to the right under the diagram. Also, an exclamation mark sometimes appears there on a specific move during your replay, then click it and you can read my comments on that move.

Shogi Tactics #0014

Sente's turn to play.This is a Yagura endgame position where Gote took the 13 pawn with Lx13 just after Sente had dropped a Pawn on 13 engaging in the edge attack(For Firefox users, please forward one move from the displayed position to have the problem. Sorry, this cannot be displayed on some smartphones). Please find a 9-move-mate-line from here. You have two silvers in hand and your attacking pieces on the board are the 41 Tokin, 68 Bishop, 25kNight, 19 Lance and some more Pawns which are sufficient enough to deliver a mate with the pieces in hand. This problem and the next ones will show you how effective the edge attack will be when Gote's Silver does not come to 24 and stays on 33 in Yagura games. I think you will find the importance of Gote's S-24 to protect the edge when Sente tries to attack the edge file with N-25 paradoxically through these problems. You can replay the answer line by clicking the arrow directing to the right under the diagram. Also, an exclamation mark sometimes appears there on a specific move during your replay, then click it and you can read my comments on that move.

Shogi Tactics #0013

Sente's turn to play.This is a Yagura endgame position where Gote took the 44 Pawn with Sx44(For Firefox users, please forward one move from the displayed position to have the problem. Sorry, this cannot be displayed on some smartphones). Please find the 9-move-mate-line from here. It is one of the patterns to practice repeatedly to help you when you approach to the King in Yagura Castle. You can replay the answer line by clicking the arrow directing to the right under the diagram. Also, an exclamation mark sometimes appears there on a specific move during your replay, then click it and you can read my comments on that move.

Shogi Tactics #0012

Sente's turn to play.This is a Yagura endgame position where Gote dropped a Pawn on 12(For Firefox users, please forward one move from the displayed position to have the problem. Sorry, this cannot be displayed on some smartphones). Please find the next move which will lead Gote's King to mate. You have lots of pieces in hand such as a Bishop, Silver and kNight. You can replay the answer line by clicking the arrow directing to the right under the diagram. Also, an exclamation mark sometimes appears there on a specific move during your replay, then click it and you can read my comments on that move.

Shogi Tactics #0011

Sente's turn to play. This is a Yagura endgame position where Gote played G43-42 to try to let the 41 promoted Bishop go away(For Firefox users, please forward one move from the displayed position to have the problem. Sorry, this cannot be displayed on some smartphones). Please find a three-move-approach to Gote's King in Yagura castle. This problem is to show that it is easier to approach the King in Yagura when your Rook file is semi-opened comparing with the situation that your Rook pawn still stays on the Rook file such as a 25 or 26 pawn. You can replay the answer line by clicking the arrow directing to the right under the diagram. Also, an exclamation mark sometimes appears there on a specific move during your replay, then click it and you can read my comments on that move.

Shogi Tactics #0010

Sente's turn to play. This is a Yagura endgame position where Gote played K-22 from 31(For Firefox users, please forward one move from the displayed position to have the problem.). Please find the best move in the next. You can replay the answer line by clicking the arrow directing to the right under the diagram. Also, an exclamation mark sometimes appears there on a specific move during your replay, then click it and you can read my comments on that move.

Shogi Tactics #0009

Sente's turn to play. This is an endgame position where Gote dropped a pawn on 63 to harass Sente's 64 Bishop.(For Firefox users, please forward one move from the displayed position to have the problem.). It is a created, partial position to tell you about one of the thematic approaches to the King in Yagura castle. You can encounter a similar position in your real Yagura games when you dropped a kNight on 24 and your opponent ignored it. Please find the quickest five-move-approach to the King from here. You can replay the answer line by clicking the arrow directing to the right under the diagram. Also, an exclamation mark sometimes appears there on a specific move during your replay, then click it and you can read my comments on that move.